Quantitative Imaging and Analysis Lab

QIAL’s strong SPIE Medical Imaging 2026 contributions: virtual photon-counting micro-CT, self-supervised DL denoising, brain–heart imaging in APOE mice, and high-resolution 5D cardiac PCCT.

1. Nadkarni, R., D. P. Clark, A. J. Allphin, Y. Qi, Y. M. Mowery, W. P. Segars, et al. “Deep-Learning-Enhanced Virtual Photon-Counting Micro-CT Imaging Platform for Preclinical Cancer Studies.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 13924, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3086178.
2. Clark, D. P., and C. T. Badea. “Advancing Deep Learning Denoising Methods with Self-Supervised Training and Multi-Channel Image Priors.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 13924, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3086137.
3. Badea, A., R. Nadkarni, R. J. Anderson, A. Mahzarnia, J. Stout, D. Jin, J. Joshi, et al. “Investigating Brain–Heart Interactions Using Resting-State fMRI and Photon-Counting Micro-CT in Aged APOE Mice.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 13929, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3085930.
4. Nadkarni, R., A. J. Allphin, D. P. Clark, and C. T. Badea. “High-Resolution 5D Cardiac Photon-Counting Micro-CT in Mice Using a Fast Turntable Scanner and Deep-Learning-Based Full-Heart Segmentation.” In Progress in Biomedical Optics and Imaging Proceedings of SPIE, Vol. 13929, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.3086109.

Using photon-counting CT and deep learning, we show that voluntary exercise significantly mitigates high-fat diet–induced cardiac dysfunction in adult APOE-targeted mice, with the strongest benefits observed in APOE4 and humanized innate immune (HN) backgrounds.

Exercise mitigates high-fat diet–induced cardiac dysfunction via APOE genotype- and immune-dependent mechanisms: a photon-counting CT study in adult mice. Nadkarni R., Allphin A. J., Clark D. P., Qi Y., Han Z. Y., Ghaghada K. B., Badea A., Badea C. T. PLOS ONE, 2025. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0339293

How do genetics, sex, and immune signaling shape bone health as mice age?
Our study shows that photon-counting CT  in APOE mouse models reveals strong sex- and immune-dependent bone loss, with female HN mice showing the most pronounced decline.

Nadkarni, R.; Han, Z.Y.; Allphin, A.J.; Clark, D.P.; Badea, A.; Badea, C.T.
Photon-Counting Micro-CT for Bone Morphometry in Murine Models.
Tomography 2025, 11, 127. https://doi.org/10.3390/tomography11110127